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SIXTY-FIVE (Prologue)
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Two years ago
When she came to, the first thing her brain registered was the throbbing pain in her arm. A little disoriented, she wondered if she'd slept on it. Emilia opened her eyes, groaning. Her throat was dry and instinctively, she reached out to the bedside table for a glass of water that was always there but the sound of sirens blaring jolted her fully awake. Her memory came crashing back. Forgetting about her pain, she shot up. To her left Lisandra was lying on the ground with a gun in her hand."Zander" she whispered, searching for him.The last thing she remembered was someone shooting her and knocking Lisandra out. She didn't remember getting out of the house but she didn't care. All she wanted to know was where her son was. The house they'd been in was on fire. The thought that Zander could still be inside had her rushing forward but just as she took a step toward the door, the house exploded. Throwing her back a few paces."No... ZRelated chapters
The Vendetta of the Returned Wife SIXTY-SIX
"It's your fault he's dead. If you had listened to me and told your fucking mistress to leave, this wouldn't have happened. My son wouldn't be dead!" "I'm sorry Emilia, I'm really sorry" "Is your sorry going to bring him back? Will your sorry give me back my son? Where is my baby? Give me my baby""Em..." "Screw you, Max. I cursed the day I met you. If I could turn back time, I would never marry you. All you've done is make my life miserable. I hate you, I hate you, I hate you" "I'm sorry..." was all he'd said. What else could he tell her? She was right. Marrying him had brought her so many misfortunes. She would have been better off with someone else, living her life peacefully instead of suffering the way she was. If only he could turn back time."Why Max, why him? I was there too. I should have died instead of my poor son. What did he do? What did Zander do to that witch? Why couldn't you love her and just leave me alone?
The Vendetta of the Returned Wife SIXTY-SEVEN
Heartburn his ass. Preston thought inwardly. It was so like Max to try and hide his pain. The guy had refused to cry even in front of him and they'd been friends for as long as he could remember. The list of embarrassing things they'd done together could fill a book and tears would probably be on the last page. Why was it so hard for him to cry on his shoulder? He'd fucking lost a son. He was entitled to break down or lose his shit. No one would judge him. But then again he'd always been stubborn. It would take more than what he was doing to get him to open up. He'd sat Darren down and told him it was time to man up because Max was going to be taking a long vacation. Little Gwen couldn't believe the person she once called her best friend could do something as evil as that so she'd run overseas using school as an excuse. Preston knew he was the only one who could think straight so he took turns watching the siblings. Even though he hadn't known the kid for long, he felt as
The Vendetta of the Returned Wife SIXTY-EIGHT
"Was that Preston?" Emilia asked, trying to distract the hungry baby while they waited for her food to cool down. With Thea around, she'd been distracted and only remembered to prep Gaby's food when she woke up. Emilia dreaded the moment she would have to stop breastfeeding and concentrate on introducing all kinds of food to her. Zander was a pain when it came to anything new especially if it was green. He would spit it out the moment he realized what it was and scream his lungs out so he wouldn't have to eat it. Even as he'd gotten older, they had to bribe him with cookies to make him eat. "Yeah. He's just realizing he can't fool me" "I still can't believe you guys are together. He's a man-child, Thea. I never pegged that clown for your type" "He used to be childish Em. After Zander..." she stopped. "No, don't do that. Don't stop talking about him for fear it might hurt me. I want to always remember him, the good and the bad, all of it. I do
The Vendetta of the Returned Wife SIXTY-NINE
"Hey, are there any sexy cowboys around here? I bumped into one at the gas station but he was full of himself so I flashed him my badge" Thea said as if reading her mind. "I'm too busy with Gaby to know" "What's the use of leaving your husband if you're not getting it on with someone else?" "Excuse me, I have a baby who needs most of my attention. I can't even remember the last time I got dressed and went out" "Say no more. We are going out tomorrow" "Sure Thea. Do they allow babies into bars now?" she asked sarcastically "No need to be so sarcastic. I'm sure we can find a sitter or Mary can look after her" Thea said referring to one of her staff. "She's still too young to be left alone" "Gaby's a little over a year Em. I'm sure she can spend a few hours without her mother. Right baby" Immediately the baby started crying for no reason at all "Hush my dear. I promise she's only joking" L
The Vendetta of the Returned Wife SEVENTY
"Maxxie, do you think phone locations malfunction?" Preston asked entering the dining room. He was busy frowning down at his phone that he tripped on a chair, hurting his pinky toe "Fuck, that hurts" he cursed, hopping to sit down opposite Max at the dining table. "I don't know. Why?" Max asked sipping his coffee. There was toast, eggs, bacon, sausages, and fruits making him wonder why Mel would bother preparing so much when he'd told her he only wanted coffee for breakfast. He wished she would stop because she was only tiring herself for no reason. Actually, he'd ask her to go on leave if he didn't think she would be offended. Since his mother had decided to move to England, Mel had taken over the house. She saw to everything, short of dressing and dressing him. Max wanted to stop her but he figured she also needed something to do. She had taken Emilia and Zander in like her own child and grandchild. He could imagine what she was thinking. Seeing as she was the
The Vendetta of the Returned Wife SEVENTY-ONE
Thea stared down at her phone wondering what had just happened. Preston called saying he was here, in Tennessee with Max and they were waiting for her to go pick them up. How did he even find out where she was? That aside, what was she going to tell Emilia? That she'd led her husband, whom, she considered ex-husband even though they weren't really divorced, to her doorstep? Crap. That wasn't going to end well. "What's with the face?" Emilia asked coming out of the kitchen with Doug. She had to admit that Doug was good with everything. He had changed the baby's diapers and fed her before they came downstairs for breakfast. As if that wasn't enough, the table had been laid out, a hearty breakfast waiting for them. The man was either Superman or he had feelings for Emilia. Now if her friend hadn't gotten over her husband for over ten years, Thea didn't think it would happen then. Or ever. Clearing her throat, she said "Can we talk?" "Yeah. What is it?"
The Vendetta of the Returned Wife SEVENTY-TWO
Emilia looked at Max, confused as to why he was there. She shook her head to clear the cobwebs, then remembered Thea had gone to pick them up from the airport. She must have dozed off waiting for them. Blinking, she sat up. "Em," he said with a quivering voice. She stood up and put her arms around him, hugging him, all the while asking herself what he'd done to himself. He looked as if he'd through hell and maybe he had. Guilt lodged in her throat, knowing part of it was her fault. "I'm sorry" he whispered tightening his grip "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." He kept saying over and over again. Thea, who was standing at the entrance motioned to her and pointed at the door behind them. She nodded, understanding that they were giving them privacy. Emilia held him for a few more minutes then pulled back "I guess I don't have to ask how you've been. You look like shit, Max" "And you look beautiful," he said swiping his thumb along her cheek, at the tears
The Vendetta of the Returned Wife SEVENTY-THREE
Preston stared at the guy holding a baby "Let's start with who you are" "My name is Douglas but most people call me Doug. I would shake your hand if my hands weren't full" he said so cheerfully earning himself an instant dislike. Preston didn't like cheerful people. They were either too nice or psychopaths "You have a last name, Doug?" "O'Leary" "Okay O'Leary, what do you do?" "He's a handyman" Thea answered for him making Preston give her a stinky side eye"Is your name O'Leary?" "You're still mad at me even after I explained myself?" "You got that right. Now shut it" "Oh my gosh, sometimes I think Gaby's IQ is higher than yours" she rolled her eyes while crossing her hands over her stomach. He ignored her because he had more pressing questions that needed immediate answers. Like why there was another man around Emilia and why he had a baby that looked eerily like his best friend's wife.
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The Vendetta of the Returned Wife Epilogue.5
EMILIA & MAX He didn't have to worry about the kids. They loved staying with the Jennings, especially now that they'd adopted a little girl. Zander was fascinated by Blossom while Gabby treated her as her doll. Soon Max was sure they were going to have sleepovers and joint parties. He had an hour before his flight so he called Darren. Gwen's outburst had reminded him how he'd neglected them over the years compared to when they were young. He thought they were grown-ups and didn't need him anymore but they were still his siblings. Even when he was grieving, he still had to remember he wasn't the only one who'd lost a mother. They both had. Now three of them only had each other. There was also the fact that his girlfriend had lied about who she was and her actions had led to their mother's death. He couldn't imagine the kind of pain Darren was going through. "Hey, what's up?" "I brought the kids to the Jennings for the weekend and I have an hour. Wanna have a drink?" "No thanks. I
The Vendetta of the Returned Wife Epilogue.4
HENDRIX & SAWYER "Hey, have you seen..." "Shut it" Hendrix whispered "I finally managed to put her down for a nap. If you wake her up with your big mouth I will push you off the balcony" Sawyer bit back a laugh "My watch, I'm looking for my watch" "You have more than twenty watches, babe. Why do you bother looking for one?" "The one Em and Zander gave me when he was two. Remember?" "You lost it?" He screeched in a whisper. "I misplaced it. That's why I'm asking if you have seen it" "Why are you so careless? Have Cosima help you find it. I'm going to catch some sleep before that little devil wakes up" Sawyer watched him head to their bedroom thinking that he was thriving as a parent. It suited him. He loved being a dad and every time Blossom made a sound, he'd rush to see what their daughter wanted. The adoption process had been hard but it was worth it. He couldn't ask for anything more out of life. Well, except for having his friend back. No one could have expected t
The Vendetta of the Returned Wife Epilogue.3
THEA & PRESTON Thea looked around sighing. While newly married women were on their honeymoon, she was busy at the office trying to solve the latest crime which just happened to be a breaking and entering case. Because she'd held her wedding out of the blue, her boss had told her to first tie up some loose ends before taking her vacation days. She'd never wanted to punch the man so bad. It wasn't as if she was the only cop in the building and she was only taking two weeks off. At one point she'd even thought of resigning but she loved being a cop. So she was busy debating whether to ask for a transfer to another division. Could she be better at something else? Say traffic police or... The thought of it had her shivering. She would rather quit than join another division and start all over again. But as much as she loved her job, it wasn't fair to Preston. He was the one who had convinced her to get married hastily in an attempt to cheer up their friends. They'd only been engaged for a
The Vendetta of the Returned Wife Epilogue.2
DARREN Even though he knew the streets of New York like the back of his hand, Darren felt lost. Every time he looked up, it took him a moment to remember where he was and why he was there. Sometimes he'd find himself in a place but not recall how he got there. If he'd listened to Preston and not rushed to fall in love, he wouldn't be in that situation. A few days after his mother's death, Nadia, no, Oksana had gone to him and confessed everything. She thought he needed to know who she was and why she'd approached him. As if knowing she was the one who got Lisandra out of prison would make him feel better. If he had known what she was going to say, he would have chosen not to listen. He would have decided to only know his Nadia and not the woman she claimed to be. He didn't want to believe she was capable of lying and killing. Or that she had family ties to a Russian criminal organization. He'd fallen in love with her because she was different from the women he'd known. Innocent, c
The Vendetta of the Returned Wife Epilogue
GWEN & TC "Am I allowed to ask where you're coming from?" "I would tell you but then I'd have to kill you" TC replied. Wrapping his arms around her, he kissed her, a light peck on the mouth, and then deciding it wasn't enough, he pried her lips open with his tongue. Gwen sighed, opening up to him. He needed to come up with new ways to distract her from asking about his job. Although she wasn't complaining. He had a way of making her forget everything with only a simple touch. She tried to remember if anyone had ever made her feel that way. Was there anyone before him? She couldn't recall. No one could compare to the way he made her feel. "How long until we can go on that vacation? I want to be able to do this all day without worrying about..." Her phone rang. He jerked his head back smiling but she knew he was annoyed. "Damn phone calls" "What happened to being a supportive partner?" He drew his lower lip between his teeth. A sign that his patience was thinning. She answ
The Vendetta of the Returned Wife ONE HUNDRED & THIRTY-SEVEN
It was easy to picture them having a girls' day out together with Gwen and Thea. Gabby too. They would go to spas, have their hair and nails done, and do all the girly things she'd missed out on doing with her mother. Her mind conjured the perfect family gathering. With all her friends and family. Wouldn't that be something? "I felt the same way about Max. He looks so much like his father. I couldn't believe it" "Honestly I always feel proud whenever people tell me how much Gaby resembles me. It's so satisfying to know she at least takes after me and not her father" "She does. Down to the shape of your nose. She will break a lot of hearts when she grows up" "Hush, don't let Max hear that. He's embraced this Texan lifestyle. Next thing you know he's going to buy a shotgun to keep boys away from his daughter" Emilia had no doubt he would do that in a few years. The thought of him fighting with teenagers over his daughter excited her. She couldn't wait to see who would win. "I don
The Vendetta of the Returned Wife ONE HUNDRED & THIRTY-SIX
Seeing that man had made her feel uneasy. All throughout yesterday she was nervous and kept jumping at the smallest sound. Sleep evaded her because she couldn't stop worrying about her children. What if someone broke in and hurt them? She just got Zander back. Losing him would destroy her. Max must have noticed how on edge she was because he took the kids and Mel out, telling her to relax. It was his way of giving her a day off. But all it did was give her more nerves. Instead of resting, she went around the house, looking for something out of the ordinary. A broken window or door. Anything to indicate she wasn't overreacting. Her search stopped outside Genevieve's door. Since Gwen went off on her, she hadn't left her room. Emilia wondered if the woman was repenting. That was if she was capable of repenting. She wasn't a saint but she knew she couldn't ignore her child, especially if he was in the hospital. How had she done it? Genevieve sure was one of a kind. Emilia couldn't believ
The Vendetta of the Returned Wife ONE HUNDRED & THIRTY-FIVE
Lisandra's heart skipped a beat just as realization dawned on her. She wasn't free. Those guards had known the police were on their way and they had left after getting rid of any evidence that could point to any of them being there. That was why the house was so clean. They'd scrubbed down every inch of it, probably getting rid of evidence like fingerprints and stray hairs. Son of a bitch, her benefactor had really called the police on her. But why? Their deal was to distract the Carters while she took her revenge. Had she had a change of mind? Damn that bitch to hell. Spinning around, she ran the other way, swearing she would rather die than go back to prison. When she got to the road, her legs quickened, hoping the police cars wouldn't catch up with her. The second they realized the house was empty, they would know she had escaped and start chasing her. As she speed walked, she tried to think of reasons why her benefactor had cast her aside. Had she done something to change her min
The Vendetta of the Returned Wife ONE HUNDRED & THIRTY-FOUR
The guards were acting strangely. Lisandra had been keeping an eye on them and that's how she knew something was up. Ever since she stepped foot in that house, they hadn't let her out of their sight. Everywhere she went they followed. Kitchen, living room, bedroom, and even the bathroom. Their excuse? Her benefactor had told them to keep an eye on her so she wouldn't escape. It didn't make sense that she'd want to escape when she had nowhere to go but that bitch had insisted on having her men there. But before going to bed she noticed how they all sat in the living room watching TV. She had never seen them all together in one place so she thought maybe they were celebrating something or they had come to trust her. However, before she could get to her room, one of them got up and made it there ahead of her. He checked the windows to make sure they were locked then stood outside her door, telling her to hurry up. Normally they just let her do whatever she wanted. Lisandra dragged her
